One can't help but remember Cersei Lannister's telling dialogue from "Game of Thrones" season one -- "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die" and the final season of the series promises just the same.
With fans and critics revising the last seven chapters of the hit HBO show in the run-up to its highly-anticipated eighth season, actor Kristofer Hivju says the audience will experience a wide spectrum of emotions after the season finale.
"I think people will be everything: some people will be sad, some people will be happy because maybe their theory went right. Some people will cry and some people will destroy their TV. I think people will react in many different ways," the actor, who essays the role of Tormund Giantsbane in "GOT", said in snippet, shared by Star World, which will air the season eight of the show on April 16.
Rory McCann, known for playing Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, said the people will not be disappointed with the show.
He, however, echoed Hivju's remarks, adding because the audiences have their own theories, they may be in for a ride "if that's all totally wrong" and "not suit their version".
Hivju credited the "unpredictability" of the show's storylines for its popularity and recalled catching an episode under cover at an Altanta bar.
"It doesn't follow Aristotle's beginning, middle, end. I think that's part of the success of the show because there is no prediction of what can happen. People don't know.
"I sat at a 'Game of Thrones' bar in Atlanta some years ago, under cover because that was the only place I could see the show. That was the episode Rory came back," he said.
To which, McCann asked, "Don't tell me they all went, 'Ah, no'."
Hivju instead compared the situation to an event of "America winning the Olympics" stature.
"It was like everybody was screaming and I thought this is closer to sport than art at some level. That's the key - people don't know how it's going to end and the final season is the same. It could go any way," he said.
The Hound, who was once thought to be dead, was brought shown hale and hearty during the sixth season of the show.
PTI
